Over 250,000 people braved an early autumn chill to show their patriotism and respect of the Chinese national flag as it was raised on Tian'anmen Square in central Beijing yesterday morning.
A highlight of the week-long holiday celebrations across the country, the flag was carried out onto the world's largest city square amid music by a band of honor guards. At 6:10 a.m., in syncwith the rising of the sun, the flag was hoisted up the pole.
Zhang Sujiu, daughter of the late patriotic commander Zhang Zhizhong of the Kuomintang during the war of resistance against Japan (1937-45), came from America to watch the ceremony.
Zhang Sujiu was also here the first time the five-starred red flag went up 53 years ago, that time as a middle-school student. The New China had just been founded by the Communist Party of China (CPC).
"I'm here to extend my sincere wishes on the birthday of my mother country. I will continue to make efforts toward the country's unification cause," said Zhang.
Meanwhile in Shanghai, a crowd gathered in front of the memorial at the site of the First National Congress of the CPC to pay homage to the Party's birthplace.
It was in the compound that the first CPC meeting was held 81 years ago, planning the historic events that led to the founding of the New China.
The site, which has hosted over 10 million visitors from home and over 100 countries and regions since 1952, has a lot more to see than the exhibition of historical Party records.
Across the street from the memorial's front gate lies Shanghai's most stylish entertainment site "Xintiandi," where French dancing, American cafes, Japanese music bars, Chinese tea houses and even gymnastic clubs are bunched together.
On east China's Jinggang Mountain, the cradle of the CPC's revolution in Jiangxi Province, an 83-meter-high marble stone inscribed with a poem of the late Chairman Mao Zedong was unveiled for tourists on Tuesday.
The marble carries the first CPC leader's longest poem, which represents his life, adding to the charm of the Jinggang Mountain, a popular tourist destination boasting luxuriant greenery.
In addition to memorial pilgrimages, artistic performances have become a theme for festival makers.
An outdoor symphony and chorus concert was held by the Song and Dance Ensemble of the General Political Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army in Beijing Tuesday night. The concert will continue through Oct. 7.
The second "Cumquat Award," a Chinese magic competition was held Tuesday in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province. Performances by over 40 magicians from inland regions, Macau and Taiwan, as well as international magic award winner Peter Marvey from Switzerland and Sugaya Kouichi from Japan made the city a hot tourist attraction.
At scenic West Lake in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, some 100,000 residents wearing red vests lined the lake's bank hand-in-hand to celebrate the completion of a 3.5-km-long greenery belt built along the southern part of the lake in anticipation of National Day.
The celebrations will continue all over China as the country enjoys a week of holiday and tourism booms.
(eastday.com Oct 2, 2002)
